Do you Involve the Entire Family in Your Training?

[HumbleWCGuy]

I have known some people who have pretty much raised their children in the martial arts. Their wives are involved on at least a self-defense level. What are your thoughts on how involved your family should be with training?

[donbdc]

As muc has you want to pass on your passiions, your children will undoubtedly decide for themselves. I have trained my boys on and off over the yrs. but I don't want to make them hate it. I just try to teach and inspire to the best of my abilities. The spouse tolerates my hobbies graciously!

Don Berry

[SteveLau]

If it is carried out, there should not be force and threat involved. I have heard of view that teaching family members MA is more difficult than non-family people. And I think I know why ...




KC
Hong Kong

[TenTigers]

When I was in High School, there was a family, whose dad learned Judo in the Army, while stationed in Japan.
He had all his kids train in Judo.
One day during a break between classes, we're hanging outside in front of the school, and some jock is messing with Rosemary, a petite little girl in pigtails and overalls. Rosemary was one of the judo kids.
"You'd better knock it off, or you'll get hurt." She warned.
The jock laughed and said,"What are ya gonna do, use your Judo on me?"
"Yep." She answered.
The next thing, he's on his back, trying to catch his wind, and little Rosemary is standing there with here hands on her hips. "Told ya so."

I caught up with Rosemary twenty years later. She has three kids, all enrolled in Judo class.
Her brother runs the Waseda Judo Club near me.

My (ex)stepdaughters all were trained in Kung-Fu. Being half-Asian, they were often the target of bullies. They handled themselves just fine. I was proud every time I was called in to talk with the principal. If they were suspended for protecting themselves, we took them to IHOP and a movie.
The youngest, when she was about 13, was training for an upcoming tournament. I worked her hard, till 1:00 am. She was nearly in tears. She won every event.
Has hated me ever since.
Would I change anything? Yeah. But this isn't a thread about marriage relationships....

[charp choi]

Nah, it's just me.
My lot aren't remotely interested in my CMA training.
The kids think it's amusing and the missus just rolls her eyes whenever I train at home.

[donbdc]

Nah, it's just me.
My lot aren't remotely interested in my CMA training.
The kids think it's amusing and the missus just rolls her eyes whenever I train at home.

I can relate so well. Especially to the eye rolling!

[YouKnowWho]

I like pole hanging. It's one of my major training. My daughter takes it into a new level. She makes herself the US pole dancing champion.

http://natashawang.com/

[jdhowland]

I'm hoping my family will always continue training but I can only encourage it, not demand it.

I was introduced to the arts by my step-dad who was a jujitsuka and loved Mongolian wrestling and some strange exercises called kung fu. I was the only one in my family who took to it but I felt it was my personal treasure passed on by someone who saw some potential and cared about me enough to make me stronger.

When I was training in SF Chinatown I heard my sifu's young son complain, "I didn't want to join. I wanted to play baseball." I made a mental note to the effect that, if I ever had a family, I shouldn't pressure them to take to my own interests.

I have that family now and my wife and kids have all trained with me. My eleven-year-old son trains at least once a week and does some exercises at home with varying degrees of enthusiasm. I have learned to not call it "kung fu class" but simply "training." Or I just say, "Come on Son, let's go get some exercise."
Even if the kung fu bug doesn't bite, he and my daughter may still have some fondness for the training.

[Indrafist]

I'm hoping my family will always continue training but I can only encourage it, not demand it.

I was introduced to the arts by my step-dad who was a jujitsuka and loved Mongolian wrestling and some strange exercises called kung fu. I was the only one in my family who took to it but I felt it was my personal treasure passed on by someone who saw some potential and cared about me enough to make me stronger.

When I was training in SF Chinatown I heard my sifu's youn son complain, "I didn't want to join. I wanted to play baseball." I made a mental note to the effect that, if I ever had a family, I shouldn't pressure them to take to my own interests.

I have that family now and my wife and kids have all trained with me. My eleven-year-old son trains at least once a week and does some exercises at home with varying degrees of enthusiasm. I have learned to not call it "kung fu class" but simply "training." Or I just say, "Come on Son, let's go get some exercise."
Even if the kung fu bug doesn't bite, he and my daughter may still have some fondness for the training.

Prosaic wisdom....

[hungheikwan]

My wife has trained for the last fifteen years. My kids have no interest (although my son spent about a year in training, when he was six).